BREAKING: Liberal candidate Paul Chiang steps down after calling for Conservative rival to be handed over to the CCP

Liberal MP Paul Chiang has 'stepped aside' as more Canadians learn that he called for his political opponent to be turned over to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for a cash bounty.

Citing a “uniquely important election with so much at stake for Canadians,” Chiang has opted to 'stand aside' as the Liberal candidate for the riding of Markham—Unionville.

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Revelations surfaced late last week that Chiang had called for people to turn in Conservative candidate Joe Tay to the Chinese consulate in Toronto for a cash bounty. Chiang made the remarks during a Chinese-language news conference in January.

Liberal Party leader Mark Carney called this a “teachable moment” and refused to oust Chiang amid the potentially treasonous threats, citing his apology.

Canada's election security task force expressed “concern” over the bounty, $1 million HKD, and announced private security options for political candidates just yesterday.

Tay claimed that Chiang had made an “unsolicited attempt” to contact him to discuss the matter, but ultimately stated that no apology is sufficient given the magnitude of the situation.

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“His threatening public comments were intended to intimidate me,” the statement reads, “and they must not be tolerated.”

“Threats like these are the tradecraft of the Chinese Communist Party to interfere in Canada… they are intended to send a chilling signal to the entire community in order to force compliance to Bejing's political goals.”

Canadians are still left in the dark about which parliamentarians have potentially been compromised by foreign interference. Justice Hogue's foreign interference commission recommendations have been shelved with Parliament prorogued and a snap election underway.